Outdoor Activities To Try Out This Summer

Saddle up – Red Feather Lakes, Colorado, USA

Learn how to horse ride in the Wild West state of Colorado. There are a variety of ranches across the state, providing ample opportunities on how to tame a horse, including Sundance Trail Ranch in Red Feather Lakes. Guests are paired up, depending on experience level and ability, and led by the barn manager into the beautiful, neigh-bouring Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forest. After a day’s ride, it’s communal meals and s’mores around a campfire before retiring to a cosy log cabin. Summer rates start from $350 per night including all meals and activities. www.colorado.com

Ace it – Huntington Beach, California, USA

Enjoy the sands and partake in one of Huntington Beach’s most popular sports, beach volleyball. Home to the pros, Huntington Beach is one of the stops along the annual AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour. Professional volleyball player and three-time Olympic gold medallist Kerri Walsh Jennings recently announced the sponsorship of 25 new beach volleyball courts next to the iconic Huntington Beach Pier. Nets are free and available on a first-come, first-served basis, and balls are available for rent at beach concessionaires. www.surfcityusa.com

Game, set, match – Greater Palm Springs, California, USA

Every spring, Indian Wells in Greater Palm Springs hosts the annual BNP Paribas Open, one of the biggest tennis tournaments in the world. The event takes place in the Indian Wells Tennis Garden which, when it’s not seeing some of the biggest names in tennis play on its courts, offers lessons for all ages and abilities. Professional staff are on-hand to help improve both physical technique and mental strategies to improve overall performance. 30-minute private lesson from $45. www.visitgreaterpalmsprings.com

SUP – Santa Barbara, California, USA

Learn the basics of stand-up paddle boarding (SUP) with a lesson on the Santa Barbara waters with the Paddle Sports Center. From private lessons to group sessions, visitors will discover Santa Barbara’s ideal paddling conditions. All instructors are CPR/First-Aid certified, passionate about paddling, and excited to share their wealth of knowledge with visitors from around the world. From $95 per person for a 1.5 hour lesson. www.santabarbaraca.com

On two wheels – Setouchi, Japan

Cycling is the best way to travel the islands and coastlines of the Seto Inland Sea. The Shimanami Kaido route comes with a designated cycling lane and crosses 70 km of islands and bridges, connecting the quaint town of Onomichi to Imabari and Shikoku in the south. This itinerary will take visitors on a journey through some of the finest scenery in the region. Breathe in the fresh salt air, climb on a bicycle and set off on a voyage through Japan. setouchitrip.com

Martial arts – Tokyo, Japan

Incorporating wooden swords and kendo-style moves, Adidas Shindo is a fun way to lose weight and relieve stress. Available in Tokyo’s Renaissance gyms, the class is equipped with bokuto wooden swords and feels more like martial arts than a typical workout. Beginning with a minute of meditative contemplation, the class is thirty minutes of sword slicing, squatting and combat training. seejapan.co.uk

Deep water start – South Lake Tahoe, California, USA

Birkholm’s Water Ski School in South Lake Tahoe provides everything visitors need for their first water skiing experience on Lake Tahoe. Specialising in children and family lessons and charters, all appointments are private and reserved for families or groups only, with everything included. From $220 for one hour. www.tahoesouth.com

Sprint finish – Hiroshima, Japan

This distinctive mountain trail starts by the only outdoor stone statue in Japan dedicated to Skanda, the god of running. The 4.85 km is difficult due to the mountainous terrain, but offers a good training base for experienced runners. Consisting of a wooded path maintained by local volunteers, the route offers runners a cool breeze in the summer and warm underfoot in the winter. visithiroshima.net

River rapids – Sacramento, California, USA

You don’t have to travel far from Sacramento to have a thrilling whitewater rafting experience on the American River – one of the most popular rafting destinations in the US. American Whitewater Expeditions offers a number of excursions, ranging from beginner to expert. For first timers looking for a safe and easy introduction to the sport, the South Fork expedition is the favourite for many, with half-day, full-day and two-day trips available. Excursions begin at $74 per person. www.visitsacramento.com

Under the sea – The Islands of Tahiti

Historically famous with explorative sailors like Captains Cook and Blythe, The Islands of Tahiti is a picture-perfect setting offering some of the most beautiful diving spots in the world. To dive in French Polynesia is not a matter of if you will see black-tipped sharks, whales and manta rays, but when. Pristine diving spots include Rangiroa, where myriads of fish, barracuda, dolphins and sharks surround divers and Fakarava, a UNESCO biosphere where turtles and eagle rays ride the currents. Original Diving offers an Ultimate Dive Escape from £7,700 per person, including return flights from London Heathrow, 14 nights’ accommodation, breakfast and lunch. tahititourisme.uk

Surf’s up – Dana Point, California, USA

DoubleTree Doheny Beach

As the home of foam surfboards, legendary wave Killer Dana and California’s first surf shop, Hobie Surf Shop, Dana Point’s surfing heritage is unmatched, and Girl in the Curl offers some of the best surfing lessons in California. Taking place at Doheny State Beach, students will learn the basic elements of surfing, with instructors guaranteed to get them up and standing. Lessons begin from $125 for the first hour. visitdanapoint.com